Cleanup efforts were underway across Bucks County on Wednesday after a powerful winter storm buried parts of the region under nearly two feet of snow, caused power outages, suspended rail service, and prompted a statewide disaster emergency declaration.
Residents spent Monday and Tuesday clearing driveways and sidewalks, while public works crews continued plowing neighborhood streets and treating icy stretches. Police departments across the county had urged drivers to stay off the roads during the height of the storm, citing numerous vehicle accidents, downed trees, and power lines.
The storm began Sunday, Feb. 22, as light rain while temperatures were above freezing. In Lower Bucks County, the transition to snow occurred around 3 p.m., about two hours ahead of schedule. Snow continued overnight into Monday morning, with light snowfall still falling in Lower Bucks towns early Monday.
Bucks County remained under a blizzard warning through Monday morning. Meteorologist Amanda Lee of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said snowfall was expected to taper by 1 p.m. and end around 3 p.m. Monday. Wind gusts ranged from 30 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph possible late Sunday night. Snowfall rates of 2 inches or greater were possible during the storm.
A Blizzard Warning means snow and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to one-quarter mile or less for three hours or longer, along with sustained winds of 35 mph or frequent gusts of 35 mph or greater. There is no temperature requirement for blizzard conditions. The last blizzard warning in Bucks County occurred Jan. 22, 2016, when Philadelphia International Airport recorded 22.4 inches of snow and totals across Bucks County ranged from 20 to 30 inches. That storm cost the county and municipalities nearly $2 million, with federal disaster aid used to help cover part of the expense.
Snow totals from this week’s storm varied widely across Bucks County, with the highest amounts near the Delaware River as the coastal system pushed west from the ocean.
Morrisville recorded 21 inches. Fairless Hills and Langhorne each measured 20.5 inches. Lower Makefield reported 20.5 inches at 6:30 a.m. Tullytown had 18 inches. Levittown reported 15 inches at 3:53 a.m. Yardley recorded 12 inches at 5 a.m. Lower Southampton measured 10 inches at 5 a.m. Bensalem reported 14 inches at 3 a.m., with likely higher totals by Monday morning. Warminster recorded 13.5 inches. Willow Grove reported 13.2 inches at 6:45 a.m. Jamison measured 8.5 inches at 1:42 a.m. East Rockhill reported 8.5 inches at 6:30 a.m. Chalfont had 7.3 inches at 6:50 a.m. Telford recorded 9.3 inches at 7 a.m.
In Upper Bucks, snow had stopped by 10:30 a.m. Monday, leaving icy coverings on vehicles. Around Quakertown, Routes 309, 313 and 663 were clear Monday morning. Many secondary roads were clear, while others remained slushy, with low visibility of turning lanes and traffic lines in some areas.
In Doylestown Borough, residents shoveled sidewalks and driveways as light flurries continued. Vehicles moved slowly along plowed streets and most downtown businesses were closed. By 10 a.m. Monday, children were sledding on the hill outside the Mercer Museum. Trees and grass were covered in snow outside Central Bucks West High School.
The National Weather Service uses airport measurements for official records. Because snowfall began Sunday afternoon and continued into Monday, totals were split into two days. On Feb. 22, 7.9 inches fell at Mercer County Airport in Trenton, breaking the previous Feb. 22 record of 6.3 inches set in 2001. Philadelphia came within half an inch of its Feb. 22 record of 7 inches set in 2001. For Feb. 23, Trenton’s one-day record of 11.4 inches set in 1987 remained intact, with 3.5 inches recorded since midnight as of Monday morning. Philadelphia International Airport’s Feb. 23 record of 6.5 inches set in 1987 also remained, with about 5.5 inches recorded since midnight Monday morning.
PennDOT implemented commercial vehicle restrictions on interstate highways and the Pennsylvania Turnpike beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, expanding them at 6 p.m. By noon Monday, most vehicle restrictions across the Philadelphia region were lifted and normal speed limits restored, except on I-295 in Bucks County. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a disaster emergency declaration Sunday to activate state resources and give municipalities additional response options.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, 950 PECO customers in Bucks County were without power due to heavy, wet snow weighing down trees and power lines.
PECO spokesperson Candice Womer said crews were working across the region. “We’re monitoring the weather conditions, and we do have crews dispatched out there now to work as quickly and safely as possible in these conditions to restore power to our customers who are currently experiencing any service interruptions,” Womer said, adding that more than 41,000 customers had already had service restored at that point. PECO increased staffing with extra crews and contractors and prioritized restoring service to the largest number of customers first.
Upper Makefield Police reported outages in the Crossing, including traffic lights that were out. Station #71 at 1221 Taylorsville Road opened as a warming center and charging location for electronics.
Transit service was also disrupted. As of 9 a.m. Monday, all regional rail lines serving Bucks County were suspended by SEPTA, along with all bus lines. Spokesperson John Golden said at the time, “It all depends on when the weather breaks,” and told riders that service would resume when it was safe for customers and employees.
Residents described the storm from different perspectives. One said, “When you’re a kid, you love the snow — no school, but when you have to drive in it, I don’t consider that fun.” On Terrace Road in Levittown, Aaron and Doreen worked for hours clearing their driveway. “I think taking a break here and there has helped us,” one said.
Another fast-moving system was forecast for early Wednesday. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly said Tuesday would be dry and cold, with temperatures around or just below freezing and wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph. Meteorologist Amanda Lee said the Wednesday storm would likely begin overnight as snow before transitioning to rain, with accumulations of 1 to 2 inches at most.
